Aston Community Education Trust
Business Studies (232R)

PGCE with QTS full time

• Accredited body: Sheffield Hallam University
• Financial support: Bursary or student finance if you’re eligible
• Qualification:
  PGCE with QTS

  A postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE) with qualified teacher status (QTS) allows you to teach in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It’s also recognised internationally.

  Many PGCE courses include credits that count toward a Master’s degree.

• Course length: 1 year
• Date you can apply from: 8 October 2019
• Date course starts: September 2020
• Website: http://www.astonacademy.org/index.php/school-direct

Contents

About the course

You will spend the majority of your time in your main placement school which, depending on your location, will usually be Aston Academy. You will be part of a team from day one and will receive high training from experienced teachers on a wide range of topics. One day a week you will be at Sheffield Hallam University giving an excellent blend of practical experience and also chance to reflect and make use of the research expertise of university-based tutors. Additional training will take place at other academies within Aston Community Education Trust.

To complement your development as a teacher you will complete two assignments at Masters level, exploring key issues relating to your subject and your role.

Key Features of the course

• A dedicated team of tutors who provide excellent support for all students.
  
• A strong subject-specific cohort. You will have chance to develop working relationships with your peers whilst in the university, which provides you with a support network once out on placement.
• The chance to reflect. Teaching is an intensive profession, and at the start of your career it is essential that you have the opportunity to develop skills as a reflective practitioner. During your placements, for example, you will spend every Friday in the University sharing your experiences and considering ways in which you can develop your teaching.

For information about the university based elements of the course please click here

Interview process

Once we receive your UCAS application we will consider a number of factors in making our decision about whether to interview you:

• Do you demonstrate a clear interest in becoming a teacher?
• Do you have strong references that suggest you have the capacity to train to be a teacher?
• Do you have highly developed subject knowledge, or an awareness that you need to develop this?
• Have you written a strong personal statement, demonstrating your commitment to teaching, your passion for your subject and an understanding of the realities of the profession?

Your selection day will take place either at the Aston Academy or one of our partner schools, and will consist of the following elements:

• Welcome, a tour of the school and introduction to the course
• A task designed to ensure that your subject knowledge is strong
• An activity with a small group of pupils, and reflection on this experience
• A formal interview, carried out by at least two school representatives

How school placements work

You will undertake three periods of school experience:

• At least two days in a primary school early in the programme
• Your main placement for the majority of your training
• A 5 week contrasting placement at another school in our partnership

We work with 13 schools in Sheffield, Derbyshire, and Rotherham. This range of inner-city, suburban and rural contexts provides rich opportunities for diverse and balanced experiences in schools, and we work hard to secure you two contrasting placements.

When arranging placements, personal circumstances such as child-care and additional needs are taken into account as much as possible.

Fees

The course fees for 2020 – 2021 are as follows:

UK students	£9,250
EU students	£9,250

Financial support

You’ll get a bursary of £9,000 if you have a degree of 2:2 or above in any subject.

You don’t have to apply for a bursary - if you’re eligible, you’ll automatically start receiving it once you begin your course. Find out about eligibility and how you’ll be paid.

You may also be eligible for a loan while you study – note that you’ll have to apply for undergraduate student finance.

Find out about financial support if you’re from outside the UK.

Requirements

Qualifications

Applicants should have an undergraduate degree class 2:2 or above in a relevant subject. If less than 50% of your degree is in your specialist subject you will be required to undertake a Subject Knowledge Enhancement course as a condition of entry to the programme.

If you have a 3rd class undergraduate degree and a strong (grade A or B) A level in your specialist subject we may consider your application but you should be aware that you will not be eligible for a bursary.

If you have non-standard qualifications you are welcome to contact us to discuss your eligibility

Personal qualities

We consider six key elements when selecting students for our PGCE programme:

• Commitment to teaching
• Insight into the realities of teaching
• Resilience
• An analytical approach to problem solving
• Enthusiasm for your subject
• Interpersonal and communication skills

We will consider your strengths in each area during the selection process, including when considering your application form.

Other requirements

As this course leads to a professional qualification, student teachers will be required to undertake a DBS Enhanced Disclosure and Work Health Assessment. All Student teachers will also be required to complete Safeguarding training. Full information about how to undergo these checks will be provided once you accept your place on the course.

About the training provider

Aston Academy is the lead school for Aston Community Education Trust (ACET) School Direct. At Aston Academy we are committed to providing high quality learning and teaching which is reflected in our Ofsted report where we were judged to be a Good provider.

Trainees are placed at one of our 18 primary or secondary partnership schools in Sheffield, Rotherham and Derbyshire. Our partnership schools vary in their educational setting giving trainees access to a variety of experiences over a wide geographical area.

For secondary, the majority of student teachers will be at Aston Academy for one of their two placements and have another placement at one of our partnership schools. Further information can be found here or here

For primary including early years, trainees have their placements at two of the ACET junior academies. Further information can be found here

Last year 100% of ITT trainees rated their overall placement at Aston Academy as good or outstanding.

So far this year 100% of candidates have rated their in school training as excellent.

About the accredited body

The Sheffield Institute of Education (SIoE) at Sheffield Hallam University is a national centre of education, recognised for their excellence and innovation in teaching and learning. A hub for excellence, innovation and knowledge advancement in childhood and young people’s development and learning. SIoE has recently received the first ever ‘Outstanding’ rating from Ofsted for early years’ teacher training - alongside an ‘Outstanding’ rating for primary teacher training. They have been named as the 2019 University of the year for teaching quality by the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide.

Training with disabilities and other needs

As a student teacher at The University of Sheffield or Sheffield Hallam University you will have full access to support if you have a disability or additional needs. Full information is available on the following links:

The University of Sheffield Sheffield Hallam University

Additionally, we work closely with all our school partners to ensure that your needs are met whilst on placement, offering support and adaptations where necessary.

Contact details

• Email: schooldirect@astonacademy.org
• Telephone: 0114 2872171
• Website: http://www.astonacademy.org/index.php/school-direct
• Address: Aughton Road; Swallownest; Sheffield; South Yorkshire; S26 4SF

Apply

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Support and advice

For questions about this course you should contact the training provider using the contact details above.

Get support and advice about teaching

Register with Get Into Teaching, the Department for Education’s free support and advice service, for personalised guidance from teaching experts. They can help you to prepare your application, book school experience, and access exclusive teaching events. You can also call them free of charge on 0800 389 2500, or speak to an adviser using their online chat service, from 8am to 8pm, Monday to Friday.

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